Area boaters hail new Ohio law limiting random boat inspections

A new piece of legislation has boaters feeling a bit freer to navigate the waters of Lake Erie.

House Bill 29, known as the Boater Freedom Act, became effective July 10, denying local and state law enforcement agency's the ability to initiate random boat inspections without probable cause.

The new law signed by Gov. John Kasich prohibits the inspection of boats except in instances where there is a designated checkpoint, an operator of a watercraft requests an inspection, or an officer has reasonable suspicion to believe a boat or its operator of is in violation of state laws.

While the bill directly affects the proceedings of state and local watercraft authorities, it does not alter the policies or activities of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies.

The approved legislation comes as a relief to watercraft motorists who previously were subject to multiple safety inspections by local marine patrol, state watercraft officers, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

"I cannot tell you how happy I am that House Bill 29 was passed," Love said. "Being an active boater for over 10 years now, I can definitely say that I have been stopped multiple times for no real reason. I've always been one to respect the law and I understand why safety inspections are necessary in some cases, but when I am abiding by the rules, it's annoying when you are stopped like that because it's a waste of time and it just takes away from a person's ability to appreciate the water."

ODNR Division of Watercraft Chief Rodger Norcross also voiced his support of the bill, calling it good piece of "common sense" legislation.

"The bill was introduced because boaters on Lake Erie felt like they were being stopped unreasonably by multiple law enforcement agencies," Norcross said. "No real boater will ever complain about being stopped if they are doing something unlawful, but in instances where that is not the case, it's just a waste of time for boaters trying to get out there and enjoy the water."

Norcross said the bill's approval aligns watercraft law with motor vehicle law in regards to safety inspections.

"The bill will basically make safety inspections on the water the same as safety inspections on the road," he said. "When a person is driving a motor vehicle, an officer must have just cause to pull them over and conduct a safety inspection. This bill just introduces that same principle, but applies it to those operating a vessel."

According to the ODNR Division of Watercraft, nearly 3 million Ohioans participate in recreational boating annually, with 11,535 Lorain County boaters registered in 2012 alone. When considering tourism, the boating industry also supplies 443,000 Ohio jobs that generate roughly $10 billion in revenue.

The ODNR Division of Watercraft is in charge of enforcing state boating laws, providing education programs to prospective and registered boaters, and examining all boating-related accidents. For more information, visit www.watercraft.ohiodnr.gov.